In low-temperature environments, structures made out of ice or snow are common for a variety of purposes. Structures such as snow caves and igloos have long been used for purposes of shelter from the cold. More recently, ice structures have become popular for destination and/or novelty lodging (e.g. ice hotels and ice palaces) as well as for decorative and artistic purposes. Such structures are formed by cutting or carving blocks out of ice or snow and then stacking or otherwise placing the blocks to form the structure. An alternative method is to make a large pile of snow and to carve the structure out of the pile, as with a snow cave. All such structures are limited in their artistic and functional characteristics by the manner in which they are constructed.